We are all familiar with the interchangeable facial filters on social media. Filters have been integrated into various social media outlets, but these innovative features originally became popular on Snapchat.
At the beginning of the filter era there seemed to be more fun types of masks to choose from, such as rainbow mouths, different animals, or distortions. In contrast, now that Snapchat has taken the crown for the “go to” filters, many of them seem to be pushing a false perception of beauty. For example, some filters can make skin look smoother with smaller noses, longer eyelashes, and bigger eyes.
The problem is that this perceived flawlessness on social media invades how we think of ourselves. Now, it is not just celebrities that can be airbrushed and made to look perfect, but it is our own friends, classmates, and family members. We have begun to rely on them. Some people do not even post any pictures without filters. They are blurring the line between smartphone fantasy and reality.
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People used to bring photos of celebrities to a plastic surgeon, but now they would rather look like an edited version of themselves. According to an annual survey by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, selfies are a driving force behind why people wish to get plastic surgery done. In fact, doctors have coined the term “Snapchat Dysmorphia,” which is a fixation on the perceived flaws in one’s appearance.
Neelam Vashi, an assistant professor of dermatology at the Boston University School of Medicine, told The Washington Post that “Snapchat dysmorphia” is the result of people now being able to edit away any imperfections with ease. “What used to lie in the hands of celebrities and beautiful people who were innately beautiful made to look more beautiful, now it’s in the hands of anyone,” said Vashi.
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The cultural significance of these filters reflects on deep expectations in our society. What is most obvious is that they tend to promote Western standards of beauty. It is like a one-size-fits- all that makes our eyes bigger, our nose smaller, and our skin smooth and brightened with emphasis on the brightened. Filters make us look beautiful, but when these filters are used in real life, it can be offensive. The prevalence of skin lightening in filters is not Snapchat trying to be racist on purpose. It reflects a larger systemic problem of issues with our societal beauty standards.
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Everyone has experienced that moment when they are looking through the filters, it glitches, and we go from staring at our beautiful, filtered self to looking at our real self. Wanting to look like our filtered selves harms self-esteem. The most striking thing to me about facial filters on social media is the promotion of a uniform standard of beauty. For example, when you look at Instagram models, there are so many of them who end up looking similar because they get the same procedures done and do their makeup the same. Conforming to the beauty standards that filters promote takes away our own unique characteristics.
The impact of filters on self-esteem and self-perception is sad. Next time you open these apps, keep in mind that these filters promote unattainable beauty standards. Our beauty should not be constituted by patriarchal aesthetics.
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